In the first Monday night game of the year, the Atlanta Falcons held on to a 26-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles fought back to make it a game, but an ability to run the ball and two Sam Bradford INTs were ultimately their undoing. Here are five things we learned from the Eagles' loss to the Falcons.
Julio Jones Will Have A Monster Year
I was expecting big things from Jones this season (I tried to get him in all my fantasy leagues), but his monster performance in Week 1 surpassed my expectations. Jones caught nine passes for 141 yards and two scores in one of the most impressive Week 1 performances. If Jones keeps playing this well, the Falcons offense will be lethal this year.
Eagles Must Run The Ball More
The Eagles paid DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews a lot of money this offseason. The duo combined for a meager 13 yards on 11 carries. They scored twice on the ground, but failed to produce many yards. The Eagles threw the ball 52 times against 16 runs. Part of that comes with being down multiple scores early, but the Eagles can't be so one-dimensional going forward. Murray, Mathews and even Darren Sproles need more carries.
The Falcons Will Have A Balanced Offense
The Falcons ran the ball 35 times and threw it 34. That type of balance is something the team lacked last season. Being able to run the ball will make things much easier on Matt Ryan. Had the Falcons relied too heavily on the air attack, they wouldn't have beaten the Eagles.
Tevin Coleman Is The Falcons' Starter
It wasn't clear in the preseason who would be the starting RB for the Falcons. We found out Monday that Coleman is the clear No. 1 and Devonta Freeman is the No. 2. Coleman looked sharp, picking up 80 yards on 20 carries. Freeman had 10 carries for 18 yards, but did contribute three catches for 29 yards. Coleman was targeted twice, but didn't catch any passes. If the season opener was any indication, Coleman will be the Falcons main back this season.
Darren Sproles Isn't Done Yet
Much like early last season, Sproles showed he can still play. The 32-year old RB had 12 touches for 126 yards. The key for Sproles will be to continue playing well all season long; he tailed off mid-way through last season.
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